Ash tray



March 13, 1951 e. s. BUNCH, JR 2,545,019

ASH TRAY Filed July 5, 1947 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 115-2 61: Spin-[927v ,Je.

BY I mv leaa G. S. BUNCH, JR

March 13, 1951 ASH TRAY 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 5, 1947 64 41fiPf/vcfe fia/vc/g /e.

INVENTOR.

m v W ,arroeusrs.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 1 Claims. 1 "Thisiinvention relates to;improvements in ash trays.

The primary objeetof theiinvention is tojpro- Tdiice an I ash ft'ray"which Willj accommodate J the disposal Of cigar and cigarette butts ina clean, v,

sanitary and 'practical I'r'nannr in which the burning butt fisextinguished ,and is then 'discharged-to a concealed container iso'thatthe butt 'willnot continue 'to csmoke'an'd will not bevisibleaft'e'rithe device has been i operated.

"A"further objectisto providea device 'of'this character which isada'pted .to extinguish a cigar 'orjci'garette and then'depositthesa'mein a concealed receptacle and whichis so constructed that thepresenceof' ashes or tobacco remnants upon exposed andvisible"surfaces'ofithe device is "substantially "avoidedf I 'A" further objectis fto provide a "deviceiiof this character which'is simplefinconstruction and operation, which can be manufactured inexpensivlwandwhich canfibe. asse'nibledfiand disassembled easily and rapidly land'infa manner to facilitate exposureofall workingfparts thereof forpurposeso'f cleaning andwashing"the same.

A further objetis'toprovide a'de'vice'of this character which may "beused for "the purpose of extinguishing :a-ntl discharging a "cigar or tcigarette butt without 1 danger of burning the fingers of the user.

Other objects will be .apparent fromthe.following specification.

In the'drawing: V

Fig. :1 is a top 'plan "View of the 'l'device.

Fi'ge2isa'VieW or the device m sidelirettioh. 3 is a vertical sectionalTview' of T'the fdevice takeh0n'1ine33 0f Fig. 1. n

Fig. is a fragmentary i'verti'cal sectional s View similar to Fig. 3,illustrating 'the "device 'in cigarette extinguishing lp'ositio'n.

Fig.5 is afra'gmentaryesectional"view of the device taken onlline'5i5 ofFig. '4.

Fig. 6 is a bottom ,perspective view of .the movable member of 1 the'device as viewed when rotated 180 degrees with relation to Fig. :7.Fig. 7 .-is a 'top perspective View of the body of vthe device.

.IReferri'ng to ithe drawings which illustrate the preferred embodimentof the invention, the numeral Ill-designates the body of the devicewhichis preferably cast. or molded from metal, glass, .plas'tic or othersuitable .m'aterial The body [0 is preferablyof the construction shownin: Fig. '7, and 'has a generally bowl-like iform de'fined'by theconcave-convex wall l2. .Aeskirt portion vl4 is formed integrally withthe .-bowl portion 12 and dep'endsfr'om the convenside thereofconcentrically therewith, as best illu's: trated in Fig. 3. A hollowcylindrical sprojection .I B .is formed integrally with the -body lll atthevcentr thereof and projects upwardly rramf the concave face thereof1:0: a 'leverprrerably below {the level or "the outer edge "of 'j theWall I'Zf'GffthebOdyIU. "Wiiihin thecylindridal member i6 is.':concentri'cally iar'ranged *afblip shaped part l'8 having anannulafiflanjge 20 at its 7 upper end 'aridfd'efining a socket :22orient-at .th'e icente'r of'the convex face ofthe wall P2 :of 'the'bodyI'll.

"The Tbody has "a i plurality of equally spaced enlargements orVerticalradiallypositioned ribs '24 formed integrally therewith, "Saidenlargemerits 24 being preferably four in number, as best shown in .Fig,"Each bfthese enlargements has a recess 2t"formedhn'itsiippersur-*fac'e, -*Which recess" inclines geriera-llydownwardly andinwardly fromthe edge-"o f=the -body and terminates "and communicates ;'at its innerend with a "substantially vertical bore "or "passage 'ZB extendingthroughthe enlargement and o en at -the *--bottom surface "of the ibowllike *wall I 2' of the'bod-y'at af point 2 8 spati'edi inwardly oftheregistering' p'artf I 5 0f thefipend-ingskirt M, which may beprojected outwardly as 1 best shown' in Figs. 3 --and-4. 'One -'-or moreprojections-30 --eXtend upwardly from the-recessed=Mrtion 26 of eachenlargement 2 4 andeachhas a ourvecl-upper-iace to adaptit m -support aburning icigar or cigar ette in the -positiciniillu'strated indotteddines at 32 in *Fig, 3, *Iwith its burning en'd bearing againstthe wall 34 -dfining the inner limit of the recess 26 vand an extensionof the wall -of massage -18 50 rthat =asheendfthereof isirdireotly aboveethe passage '28. i-LTheY-Jinn'er, wall 34"may 'have axproje'ctio'n 3'ssoipositionedtthat thesinne'r end "offthefcigar or cigarette 632:und'erl-i'es zthei'sam'e to 'b'eih'eld thereby r-against;.-overhalancing{ V-If rdesired, etlie -body," adjacent to "one or-:morecof :the enlargement's 24,'may carry aradially-outwardly:anduipwardlyyprojectingarm Rs-supportingaaconcavoconvex :plate 39 at its outer and which his alined with :theprojections :30 which support the cigarette, :for the; purpose 10fsupportin a -the outer'end of thecigarette.

The upper oninner, surface-rot the? bowl-shaped Wall is preferablyslightl .-ridged radially ::;at spaced positions at 413 between :theadjacent enlargements 24 for the purpose -:of guiding :sja

cigar or cigarette=.butt-cleposited *thereonin a radial direction uponaandwise inward xSlidiIlg thereof, -so that said :butt 4-3 amayr-slidetOfiarposition as ,best illustrated in eliig. 3 wi-th -its ignited endinnermost Land the butt :extending substantially radially of the body. 1

A movable member 42, preferably of 1 the-construction illustratedlift-Fig.6, is mountedncentrally in the =ash tray body:- [0, beingprovided szwithv a central cylindrical bore- M .opensatits lowerr -endto snugly and slidably receive ..the;;cylinder 46 therein. A handleinember :46 projectsrabove the body member 42 and has secured thereto,as by a threaded connection therewith, a stem or plunger 48 whichprojects centrally downwardly through the body member 42 and terminatesin an enlarged head 50 which is slidably received in the socket 22. Acoil spring 52 bears at its lower end against the concavo-convex wall [2of the body It! and is confined at its upper end in a cupshaped member54 which is anchored to the stem or plunger 48, as by a pin 56. Thecup-shaped member 54 has a sliding telescopic fit in the cylinder member[6. The opposite ends of the coil spring 52 are preferably fixedlyanchored to the body wall 12 and to the cup-shaped member 54,respectively. The major portion of the bottom surface 58 of the movablemember 42 is preferably of concave-convex form substantially conformingto the curvature of the central part of the upper face of the bowl l2 ofthe body. The

spring 52 normally urges the shiftable member 42 upwardly to an upperlimit position determined by the engagement of the head 50 of theplunger 48 with the flange 20 of the body member. A plurality of vanes60, preferably of a number equal to the number of enlargements 24,depend from the body member 42 and are of such a size and proportionthat in the normal springpressed relation of the parts as illustrated inFig. 3, such vanes so will have a slight clearance with the uppersurface of the bowl 12 of the ash tray. The vanes 60 extend in agenerally radial direction normally aligned with the center of theadjacent enlargements 24, and slots 62 are formed in the bowl 12 inregister with said vanes 60 to accommodate and receive said vanes 60when the body member 42 is depressed against the action of the spring 52for the purpose of bringing the bottom surface 58 of the member 42 intoadjacent crushingrelation with the upper face of the bowl I2.

As shown in Fig. 3 when the body member 42 is depressed against theaction of the spring 52, any cigar or cigarette butts 43 which aredeposited in the device for disposal, in the position as shown in saidfigure, will be pressed between the bottom surface 58 of the member 42and the upper face of the bowl [2. This crushes the burnin embers of thebutt for the purpose of, extinguishing the same. Thereupon the bodymember 42 may be released and returned to its Fig.3 position so that thevanes 6!! clear the bowl l2. The handle 46 may then be manipulated torotatethe body member 42 in a direction which will increase the tensionof the spring 52 and cause an adjacent vane 56 to engage the crushedbutt 43 and propel the same in advance thereof to the next adjacentpassage 62 in the bowl l2 for discharge thereof through said passage62'. The device may then be released, whereupon the body member 42 willbe reversely rotated by the tensioned spring 52 for return to itsstarting position;

A cup-shaped member having a base 64 and a marginal flange B isremovably connected with the bottom structure of the device, as by meansof a screw thread 68. This structure serves in combination with theskirt l4 to define a closed chamber into which the crushed cigarorcigarette butts 43 may be discharged as above described and also intowhich the ashes from cigarettes 32 supported at 30 may be dischargedthrough the passages 28.

It may be desirable to provide means for limiting the extent to whichthe body member 10 may be carried by the body member 42 to projectradially therefrom intermediate its height. A vertical groove 12 may beformed in the inwardly radially projecting enlargement 24 adjacent tosaid pin, being of a length to permit insertion of the parts into theirproper assembly relations and of a depth sufficient to accommodatelowering of the body member 42 to the full extent-of its downwardmovement for cigarette crushing action, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Thisgroove 12 has a horizontal groove 14 communicating therewith at a levelto receive the projecting end of the pin 10 when the parts are in theposition illustrated in Fig. 3. The groove 74 is preferably of a lengthto accommodate a quarter turn of the movable member 42 in theconstruction illustrated. .Thus rotation of the body member 42 islimited to that rotation which is required to insure that the vanes 60,considered collectively, will sweep the entire inner or central portionof the upper face of the bowl l2, each vane 60 being shifted fromregister with one opening 62 to a position registering with the nextadjacent opening 62 at which it discharges the crushed butts 43propelled thereby. This action provides stops or limits for the rotativemovement, assuring the operator that he has turned the member 42sufliciently to clear the bowl [2 of any crushed cigarette butts beforehe -releases the handle for spring return of the member 42 to its normalposition. Likewise the pin and slot arrangement prevents the downwardmovement of the body member 42 in the event the vanes 60 do not registerwith the openings 62 in the bowl I2.

This ash tray provides a simple construction which can be manipulatedeasily for the purpose of disposing of a cigar or cigarette in a mannerwhich will prevent objectionable continued combustion or smoking of thecigar or cigarette after it has been discharged into the lowercompartment of the device. All of the surfaces of the devic which areengaged by the ashes of a cigar or cigarette are substantially invisibleand the device remains clean of ashes and tobacco particles at exposedsurfaces. This condition is true, not only with respect to cigars andcigarettes which are positioned in the bowl for disposal into the bottomchamber of the device, but also holds true with respect to cigars andcigarettes which are deposited upon the supports 30 between smokingintervals, since any ashes which may be discharged by a cigarette 32 aredischarged through the passage 28. The device may be easily disassembledfor the purpose of removing ashes and cigarette butts from the receivingchamber at the bottom thereof by manipulating the screw-threadedconnection 68 between the base 64 and the remainder of the body.Likewise, the device may be readily disassembled for access to all partsthereof by simply disconnecting the handle 46 from the stem 48 at itsscrew-threaded connection with said stem. This permits the movablemember 42 to be removed from the body l2, assuming that the pin 10registers with the vertical groove 12.

dially thereof and substantially aligned with the enlargements 24 of thebody member ID in the normal position of the parts. Downwardly andoutwardly tapering faces 18 are provided in the top of the body member42 at the parts thereof facing and registering with the ridged outerportion v4|] of the body member ID. Thus, if any cigarette is depositedcarelessly in the device in a position to engage the upper surface ofthe body member 42, the inclined surface 18 of said member 42 willpermit the cigarette to move by gravity awayfrom said body member andonto the bowl l2 downwhich it can slide to a position beneath the bodymember 42.

The device is intended for use with both cigars and cigarettes, and inany case in which either is referred to herein, it will be understoodthat such reference is illustrative only and not limiting.

While the construction of the device as described and illustrated hereinis preferred, it will be understood that changes may be made within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

1. An ash tray comprising a body having a dished portion and areceptacle below said dished portion, said dished portion having anopening communicating with said receptacle, a shiftable member, meansmounting said shiftable member on said dished portion for verticalmovement, and spring means normally urging said shiftable member to anelevated position spaced above said dished portion, said shiftablemember having a convex bottom surface substantially conforming to theshape of said dished portion and adapted to crush against said dishedportion a cigarette stub positioned therebelow.

2. An ash tray of the construction defined in claim 1, wherein saiddished portionand said shiftable member have cooperating telescopingparts guiding movement of said member relative to said dished portion.

3. An ash tray of the construction defined in claim 1, wherein saiddished portion and shiftable member have interfitting and interengagingparts for guiding movement of said member and including a stop forlimiting spring pressed movement of said member.

4. An ash tray comprising a body having a dished portion and areceptacle therebelow, said dished portion having an openingcommunicating with said receptacle, a central tubular portion and aninverted apertured cup-shaped projection within said tubular portion, ashiftable member having a convex bottom surface interrupted by acup-shaped member having a slid-- able guiding fit in said tubularportion, a coil spring fitting in said tubular portion and cupshapedmember to urge said shiftable member to elevated position relative tosaid dished portion,

, and a headed member carried by said shiftable determined rotativeposition, said upper body in claim 8, wherein said dished portion has aportion having a plurality of discharge openings therein communicatingwith said chambered lower portion, and a projection depending from saidmember in register with one of said discharge openings, the bottom edgeof said projection clearing said dished portion in the elevated normalposition of said member.

6. An ash tray of the construction defined in claim 5, wherein saiddischarge openings are equi-angularly related and equally spaced in saiddished portion, and a depending projection normally registers with eachopening.

7. An ash tray of the construction defined in claim 5, wherein saiddischarge openings are equi-angularly related and equally spaced in saiddished portion, and 9, depending projection normally registers with eachopening, and means for limiting rotation of said shiftable member to anangular extent corresponding to the angular spacing of said projections.

8. An ash tray comprising a body having a dished upper portion and achambered lower portion, said upper portion having an inwardly radiallyprojecting enlargement at its outer portion, said enlargement having arecessed upper face adapted to support and position a burning cigarette,said enlargement having a substantially vertical passage communicatingwith said chambered lower portion and with the inner end of the recessedupper face of said enlargement, a shiftable member mounted on saiddished portion inwardly of said enlargement for vertical and rotativemovement, said dished portion having a discharge passage communicatingwith said chambered lower portion and positioned below said member, andmeans for normally urging said member to a predetermined position spacedabove the dished portion registering with said member.

9. ;An ash traypf the construction defined in said projection clearingthe adjacent surface of said dished portion.

10. An ash tray of the construction defined bottom edges ofsaid-depending projections normally clearing the dished portion of saidbody.

GLAVE. SPENCER. BUNCH, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Roos Jan. 15, 1929 Neahr Apr. 28, 1931Burton Nov. 3, 1931 Locke -r- June 13, 1933 Jacob Apr. 30, 1935 BlackDec. 15, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Oct. 24, 1925 GermanyMar. 31, 1926 Number Number

